IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0069096
(2011-03-22)
|
등록번호 |
US-8459898
(2013-06-11)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Guntert, Jr., Ronald M.
- Dahlinger, Gerald L.
- Francis, Richard Wood
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Guntert & Zimmerman Const. Div., Inc.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
22 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
A paving machine for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete having a main frame, center module, bolsters laterally movably, and a crawler track associated with respective aft and forward ends of the bolsters. A bolster swing leg for each crawler track supports an upright jacking column. A worm g
A paving machine for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete having a main frame, center module, bolsters laterally movably, and a crawler track associated with respective aft and forward ends of the bolsters. A bolster swing leg for each crawler track supports an upright jacking column. A worm gear drive permits rotational movements of the crawler track and the jacking column. A hinge bracket is interposed between each swing leg and a surface of the bolsters to enable pivotal movements of the swing leg. A length-adjustable holder engages the pivot pin on the hinge bracket and pivotally engages the swing leg. The holder permits pivotal motions of the swing leg in its length-adjustable configuration and prevents substantially any motion of the swing leg in its fixed-length configuration. A feedback loop cooperates with transducers keeping the crawler tracks position. The paving machine can be reconfigured into a narrowed transport configuration.
대표청구항
▼
1. A paving machine configured to move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and terminating in lateral concrete sides, the paving machine comprising a main frame including a center module,a bol
1. A paving machine configured to move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and terminating in lateral concrete sides, the paving machine comprising a main frame including a center module,a bolster laterally movably connected to respective lateral sides of the center module for changing a spacing between the bolsters,a crawler track for respective aft and forward ends of the bolsters,a bolster swing leg for each crawler track, an upright jacking column secured to the swing leg proximate a free end thereof, and a rotary connection between the jacking column and the crawler track permitting relative rotational movements of the crawler track and the jacking column about an upright axis,a hinge bracket interposed between each swing leg and an associated surface of the bolsters and including an upright pivot shaft that engages the swing leg permits pivotal movements of the swing leg relative to the hinge bracket about an upright axis in a substantially horizontal plane, the hinge bracket including a pivot connection point that is laterally spaced from and fixed in relation to the pivot shaft, anda length-adjustable holder capable of being held at a fixed length having a first end pivotally engaging the pivot connection point and a second end pivotally engaging the swing leg, the holder permitting pivotal motions of the swing leg about the hinge pin when in its length-adjustable configuration and preventing substantially any motion of the swing leg when the holder is in its fixed-length configuration. 2. A paving machine according to claim 1 including a power drive unit between associated jacking columns and crawler tracks for imparting relative rotational movements between the associated jacking columns and the crawler tracks, a first angular position transducer between associated jacking columns and crawler tracks emitting a first position signal which is indicative of the angular orientation of the crawler track relative to the associated jacking column,a second angular position transducer between the associated swing legs and hinge brackets emitting a second signal which is indicative of the angular orientation of the swing leg relative to the associated hinge bracket, anda processor receiving the first and second signals and emitting a control signal for activating the power drive and thereby rotationally moving the crawler tracks relative to the associated jacking columns for keeping the crawler tracks oriented in the paving direction in response to changes of the first signal caused by pivotal motions of the swing leg about the pivot shaft. 3. A paving machine according to claim 2 wherein the power drive comprises a slew gear drive. 4. A paving machine according to claim 3 wherein the helical worm gear drive comprises first and second, diametrically opposed helical worm drives engaging and driving a ring gear disposed between them. 5. A paving machine configured to move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and terminating in lateral concrete sides, the paving machine comprising a main frame including a center module having a forward end, an aft end and lateral sides therebetween,a bolster connected with at least one of the lateral sides of the center module and being movable relative thereto in a lateral direction that is transverse to the paving direction,a crawler for carrying and moving the paving machine over ground vertically adjustably connected to each end of the bolster,a pivot shaft between each crawler and the associated end of the bolster permitting pivotal movements of the crawler relative to the bolster about an upright axis,an adjustable-length holder between each crawler and the associated end of the bolster, a first end of the adjustable-length holder being pivotably connected with the crawler and a second end of the adjustable-length holder being pivotable about a pivot connection that is positionally fixed relative to the pivot shaft so that a spacing between the pivot shaft and the pivot connection remains fixed at all times and lateral movements of the bolster are replicated by the pivot shaft and the pivot connection, andat least one additional crawler connected with the main frame. 6. A paving machine according to claim 5 including a feedback for maintaining an orientation of the crawlers parallel to each other independently of angular inclinations of the crawlers relative to bolsters. 7. A paving machine configured to move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and terminating in lateral concrete sides, the paving machine comprising a main frame including a center module having a forward end, an aft end and lateral sides therebetween,a bolster laterally movably connected to respective lateral sides of the center module and being movable relative thereto in a lateral direction that is transverse to the paving direction,an upright pivot shaft fixedly attached to at least one end of each bolster,first and second crawler tracks connected to the upright pivot shafts, and a bolster swing leg that engages the pivot shaft, is pivotable relative to an axis thereof, and has a free end to which the crawler track is attached so that the swing legs can be pivoted about the axis of the pivot shaft for moving the swing legs relative to the bolster in a substantially horizontal plane,an angular crawler track adjuster for changing an angular, rotational inclination between the crawler track and the associated bolster swing leg in the substantially horizontal plane for keeping the crawler tracks parallel to the paving direction in response to changes in its angular orientation resulting from pivotal movements of the swing leg about the axis of the pivot shaft,an adjustable-length holder having a first end that is pivotable about a pivot connection that is in a fixed position relative to the pivot shaft and a second end that is pivotally attached to the swing leg at a location spaced from the pivot shaft, andat least one additional crawler track and associated jacking column connected with the main frame, the at least one additional crawler track being rotationally movable relative to the associated jacking column about an upright axis for directionally aligning the at least one additional crawler track with the first and second crawler tracks. 8. A paving machine according to claim 7 having three crawler tracks. 9. A paving machine according to claim 8 including an additional swing leg that mounts the third crawler track and the associated jacking column proximate a free end of the additional swing leg, the additional swing leg being pivotally connected with the main frame. 10. A paving machine according to claim 7 having four crawler tracks and an additional bolster connected to the other lateral side of the main frame, third and fourth crawler tracks being connected with respective ends of the additional bolster and including additional sets of the pivot shafts, bolster swing legs, angular crawler track adjusters and adjustable-length holders. 11. A paving machine according to claim 7 including a feedback loop operatively coupled to the bolster swing legs and the crawler tracks for angularly repositioning the crawler tracks relative to the respective swing legs in response to angular motions of the bolster swing leg about the pivot connection for keeping the crawler tracks oriented in the travel direction. 12. A method for reconfiguring a paving machine between a paving orientation in which the paving machine can move in a paving direction for spreading, leveling and finishing concrete into a form having a generally upwardly exposed, finished concrete surface and a transport orientation in which the paving machine has a reduced width relative to its paving orientation for transporting the paving machine over standard highways subject to highway width limits, the paving machine havinga main frame including a center module having a forward end, an aft end and lateral sides therebetween,a bolster laterally movably connected to respective lateral sides of the center module and being movable relative thereto in a lateral direction that is transverse to the paving direction,an upright pivot shaft fixedly attached to at least one end of each bolster,first and second, power-driven crawler tracks for moving the paving machine relative to the ground and connected to the upright pivot shaft, and a bolster swing leg that engages the pivot shaft, is pivotable relative to an axis thereof, and has a free end to which the crawler track is attached so that the swing legs can be pivoted about the axis of the pivot shaft for moving the swing legs relative to the bolster in a substantially horizontal plane,an angular crawler track adjuster for changing an angular, rotational inclination between the crawler track and the associated bolster swing leg in the substantially horizontal plane, anda holder having a first end that is pivotable about a pivot connection that is in fixed position relative to the pivot shaft and a second end that is pivotally attached to the swing leg at a location spaced from the pivot shaft for maintaining the crawler track and the swing leg in their paving orientations,the method comprisingactivating the crawlers and changing an angular position of the crawler tracks in which the crawler tracks face in the paving direction to an angular position in which the crawler tracks are substantially transverse to the paving direction while maintaining the associated bolster swing leg in its paving orientation,thereafter deactivating the holder to permit pivotal movement of the swing leg relative to the upright pivot shaft,activating the crawler while it is in its position transverse to the paving direction to pivotally move the swing leg from its paving orientation to a transport orientation in which the swing leg is substantially transverse to the paving direction,thereafter again activating the crawler to move it into its paving orientation relative to the paving machine and thereby into a transport orientation relative to the main frame, andthereafter activating the crawlers to move the paving machine with the crawlers onto a transport vehicle. 13. A method according to claim 12 including securing the swing leg in its transport orientation to the main frame to prevent pivotal movements of the swing leg about the pivot shaft during transport of the paving machine. 14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the steps of the method are reversed for moving the crawler tracks and the swing legs from their transport orientations to their paving directions to thereby ready the paving machine for laying down another concrete layer.
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